More to a Cake than Icing

by Daniel Keebler

Ariel Weber

Age: 26

Johannesburg, South Africa

University of Johannesburg– Major: Finance and Accounts

The Center Program - 2005 & 2006

“The best decision I ever made was marrying my wife,” says Ariel Weber, “but the next best decision was choosing the Center program.” Even though Ariel grew up observant, he felt that he was living a superficial, automated version of Judaism. “People enjoy their Judaism and practice it with a smile, but going through Center and having exposure to talmidei chachamim (Torah scholars) — you get to the real part of the cake, not just the icing.” Two years in Ohr Somayach plunged him into a lifetime of meaning and spiritual depth.

Today Ariel runs a real estate investment fund while holding up a solid Torah study schedule: Talmud six times a week, study partners with young boys, and a once a week focus on Jewish law over the phone with his brother who studies Torah in a large yeshiva in Israel.

Since the day Ariel got back to South Africahe has been involved with a Jewish outreach organization. So far, he has led eight trips to Israel and two trips to the United States, totaling almost 2,000 participants. Ariel says he wants to inspire people in the same way he was inspired, to find the cake that their icing is missing.

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